


Checkmated Tiles

by RahDamon



Series: KaneKane Week Collection [2]
Category: Tokyo Ghoul, Tokyo Ghoul:re
Genre: Gen, M/M, possibly incorrect description of a panic attack
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-16
Updated: 2014-12-16
Packaged: 2018-03-01 16:53:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,781
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2780636
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RahDamon/pseuds/RahDamon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Haise has been told often enough not to pick up strays. He does it anyway.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Takatsuki Sen's Books

Haise stared at the white-haired stray he had picked up last night. The young man was lying on his bed feet crossed over his back and on his stomach idly leafing through one of his favourite books. From the spine and colour Haise deduced it was _The Black Goat's Egg_.

 

The boy ( or should Haise rather call him man? He didn’t look much younger than Haise himself, after all) was rather thin in his professional opinion although muscled as well and that couldn’t be healthy.

 

“How do you like the book?”

 

Surprised Haise blinked. He had thought he’d been quiet enough walking into his room. Also wouldn’t the one reading the book normally be asked this question.

 

But with Shiro - as the young man had introduced himself and while Haise was not best of investigators he understood body language well enough to know that this name was not the boy’s real one - looking at him intently as though trying to dig the answer telepathically out of his mind he acquiesced and answered the question.

 

“I found the slow descent of the protagonist into madness simply fascinating and an interesting character study. Also since it is merely fiction I can enjoy the delvings into a murderer’s mind without fearing that I will get too close to an actual murderer’s mindset.”

 

Shiro looked away then, humming but not in agreement just in acknowledgement.

 

Waiting a few moments for the boy to resume their eye contact or conversation left Haise befuddled when Shiro did nothing but continue leafing through the book not even reading the printed words.

 

Not being able to stand silence was one of Haise’s greatest vices as all of his co-workers could confirm. It didn’t take too long for him to break it should one form.

 

“And what did you think of it?”

 

“It was once one of my favourite books. Now I despise it for the simple fact that it is too close to life.”

 

If that wasn’t an ominous statement setting off alarm bells inside his mind Haise would eat his own tie. But Shiro hadn’t smelled like what his suspicions dictated ( and if he hadn’t smelled it Urie would have and probably already killed the white-haired boy in hopes of earning a promotion; honestly, what should he do with his wayward subordinate?) and there was no sign of him being one.

 

So he imitated Shiro by humming in answer and pale lips twitched. Haise counted that as success since the boy hadn’t shown any positive or at least non-neutral reaction for the whole day Haise had known him.

 

“ I don’t really like talking about Takatsuki Sen’s books anymore.”

 

Quietly, as though it was a cardinal sin, these words were whispered and Shiro curled up tugging at Haise’s heart strings. That was why he had taken in they boy when he had seen him lying in a back alley curled up like he was now and broken.

 

Haise liked fixing broken things. And if he couldn’t fix them he liked being their pillar of strength, even though he couldn’t be that nearly often enough. There was only one thing he could only say now.

 

“ We don’t need to.”

 

That was enough.

  



	2. Art

These days Haise woke up wrapped around Shiro more often than not and it didn’t seem like Shiro minded. It always made him think about how involved with him Shiro was now.

 

Somehow Shiro had seamlessly fitted into the life of him and his squad and no one felt inclined to share Shiro. He was quiet and intelligent enough to hold conversations with Urie ( Haise felt jealous but he never quite knew of whom). Shirazu talked to him enthusiastically without Shiro ever showing a sliver of annoyance. Mutsuki liked the acceptance Shiro showed him when Shiro accidentally walked in on him and didn’t treat him any different afterwards. Even Saiko admitted to a slight fondness towards the white-haired stray for he always brought her delicious chocolate and crunchy chips.

 

In short they had more or less adopted him all and there had been an unvoiced pact made. No mention of the white-haired man living with them to anyone else. It didn’t seem likely that any of their superiors would allow a civilian, a human civilian at that, to live with them. So they kept quiet.

 

Unfortunately that meant leaving him alone at home often ( no one counted Saiko, not even Saiko herself) whenever there was a case or emergency and they often worked at odd hours, all of them. That made things like regular meals with all of them in attendance very difficult ( which actually was a good thing for Haise).

 

So when Haise actually finished earlier with work he didn’t hesitate to hurry home hoping to catch an early dinner with Shiro despite having to pretend to eat and choke it up later ( yeah, they hadn’t told Shiro about all of them more or less having ghoul abilities, no need to scare him).

 

That’s why he was surprised to find no one at home. Or seemingly so because when he entered his - their - room and found water or aquarell colors in three colours strewn all around. Blinking Haise stared at his once tidy room - actually it had been tidy just this morning - and found the most likely creator of this chaos sleeping on his bed with a canvas leaning on the side of their bed.

 

Almost dancing through the chaos in an effort not to step on any paint it took him a while to arrive at the foot of their bed and if Shiro hadn’t been getting their sheets dirty dipped in all white and pure black and carmine red Haise would have cute at the sight of him laying cutely on that bed sleeping deeply.

 

Despite his better judgement he didn’t shake Shiro awake immediately and demand that their room better be clean within an hour. Haise just sat down on the bed next to Shiro and glanced at him with soft eyes.

 

What a troublemaker Shiro could sometimes be with his weird habits and even weirder behaviour patterns. Could he even draw? Or create art in any senseful manner?

 

All of a sudden possessed by insane curiosity he picked up the canvas.

 

It clattered to the floor as he let go landing so that the picture was on top.

 

A room with checkered tiles - white, black, white, black, then red, red, red, and a voice croaking ‘ _My body, give it back, it’s mine, SASAKI GIVE ME MY BODY BACK_ ’ ( strangely, in a distant part of Haise’s mind he noted the voice sounded like Shiro’s) - and his hands were clamming up sweat emerging from each of his pores.

 

Callused, tortured hands wrapped around his throat and Haise couldn’t breath, choking, choking until his lungs felt like bursting. And then a litany of ‘ _mine, mine, mine_ ’ and where were Haise’s fingers, why couldn’t he feel them, did they belong to the other now, the monster inside of him? He didn’t want that, didn’t want to lose himself but oh god, his heart was giving up, pumping too hard to keep up and he hadn’t even told Shiro and -

 

Teeth bit into his lips and a mouth moved against his and his mouth was wrenched up and air, sweet air, was literally breathed into him.

 

His eyes focused and he was staring into grey eyes tinged with worry and at the same time a kind of jubilant elation. Then Haise registered what was happening.

 

He was being kissed by Shiro after having a panic attack or rather being snapped out of the panic attack by Shiro’s kiss.

 

Not much longer and Shiro was hugging him telling him softly to stop shaking and that he was here. Haise didn’t even know he was trembling but if it made Shiro hug him he also didn’t truly mind.

 

After a while though it turned humiliating and embarrassing considering that he was laying in an younger man’s arms after having a panic attack over some stupid picture he never wanted to look at again. Devising a plan to make Shiro let him go wasn’t that difficult.

 

“So my lips were that kiss-able, huh?”

 

Contrary to Haise’s expectations Shiro simply nodded and held on tighter. Something inside of Haise’s chest squeezed and then a pressure was lifted from him that he hadn’t even noticed his heart infinitely lighter.

 

Grinning he reversed their positions and pecked a surprised Shiro’s lips.

 

“Then I don’t think you’d mind if I claimed yours as well?”

  
Shiro’s eyes clearly said no as did his lips.


	3. Fairytales

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uhmm, I wonder how many of you will hate me for this by the end of the chapter ...

When tragedy hit it had been only five weeks, five weeks of happiness, huddled kisses underneath thick blankets, stolen moments of pleasure between work and taking care of their squad despite Shiro actually not being an official part of said squad.

 

In those five weeks they had learned that Shiro could be quite steadfast and firm and severe when he wanted to. Almost like a father they joked and then the joke evolved and Haise became Sassan - from Sasaki-kaa-san; honestly they should leave the puns to him! - and Shiro became Shitousan - from Shiro-tou-san. And there was no convincing them otherwise.

 

Shiro was bothered by being called for a while but that faded due to the constant use by his squad and Haise felt proud to call them all his, their little family. He also felt protective of them and would give everything for them.

 

But sometimes Haise and Shiro had to escape their children and go on a walk or do something else on their own because otherwise they’d go crazy!

 

On such a walk the wheel turned and everything changed. However how could Haise have ever suspected to be ambushed after work and in the company of his boyfriend? It had never happened before.

 

(Perhaps because usually CCG investigators moved in pairs and were obvious from their uniform. While they were a pair only Haise was in uniform and concentration split between fighting and protecting Shiro he went down easily.)

 

Waking up being shackled to a wall without his Quinque and without Shiro anywhere in sight, scent or hearing distance was not a good way to wake up. Falling back on CCG training was essential in this situation so he closed his eyes, took a deep breath and faked being unconscious.

 

He should be able to escape. The ghouls who had captured him ( them, he hoped even while he wondered why he wasn’t, no, they weren’t dead already) probably thought he was a human with an exceptionally high killing count to stink of ghouls that much. It would be quite the feat to leap to the conclusion of him being a half-ghoul. (Ha, feat - leap, wait, no brain not in this situation.)

 

There was much to ponder about while waiting and figuratively watching. Yet Haise didn’t feel like pondering when worry and anxiety were gnawing at his bones. Because he could heal from any damage quite well as long as it wasn’t an instant killing blow.

 

Shiro couldn’t.

 

Since Shiro wasn’t here and no one was here to torture Haise or whatever they did with trapped investigators they must have started on Shiro first. Only the fact that he couldn’t hear any screams let him follow the CCG protocol of playing dead to uncover more information. Had he heard any there would have been no holding him, Haise could guarantee that.

 

And then there were steps , two persons, coming down to his rooms and a second later there was a click and both persons entered.

 

Haise would have nearly given himself away in joy. One of these persons was Shiro; he could tell by the coffee beans and book smell that had surrounded his boyfriend.

 

A moment later he was glad he didn’t because for the first time there was another scent mixing in with Shiro’s natural one : the scent of freshly spilled blood and the pulsing, ozone stink that Haise always associated with Kagune.

 

For a few moments he could convince himself that it was only the ghouls around Shiro that had rubbed off on him but why would he be able to walk freely then? And why would he start speaking with a ghoul ( because the other person most certainly was a ghoul from what he could smell)?

 

The conversation answered these questions. Mostly but Haise stopped listening after a certain point betrayal gorging on sizeable parts of his heart.

 

“ We couldn’t put him into a more comfortable position, could we, U-”

 

Shiro’s unmistakable voice said before being interrupted by a more playful one.

 

“ Ah, ah, just as I follow your wish to call you Shiro-kun from now on I’d like to request that as long as we are in the company of a dove, unconscious or not, yours or not, you call me No-face.”

 

His blood froze in his veins. No investigator worth his rank hadn’t heard of No-face and his ruthless gang of ghouls before No-face had submerged himself into the Underground and faded away from the scene vanishing and not appearing again

 

Rumors even whispered that he had died and someone had secretly made an ultra-Quinque out of him with heavy bets placed on Arima-san being that someone.

 

Well, Haise could certainly disprove that theory when it was truly No-face standing in front of his supposed to be unconscious body.

 

“Paranoid. Never would have thought, No-face-san.”

 

“And you loosened up a lot, Shiro-kun. Why, even three years ago you would have thrown the dove against a wall yourself if only to ensure he couldn’t eavesdrop. I remember hearing you became quite the ruthless and feared one.”

 

Silence. Which suited Haise fine. Because if what No-face had said was true - there was no reason for him to lie and Shiro wasn’t denying it - Shiro was a ghoul. A ghoul who had wormed himself his way into one of the best-kept secrets of the CCG. And had access to more fatal secrets.

 

Just because Haise had taken in a white-haired stray and fallen in love.

 

“ ...t I imagine you must have felt quite at home, among other half-ghouls like you. Although except this one here the others are mere imitation. My, the experiments we could do with this one …”

 

Oh. The last sliver of hope died as betrayal flooded Haise’s whole system. He had been tricked. Something was giggling in his mind.

 

And then there was only one scent in the room with him and one pair of feet walking out and away. Meaning one pair stayed.

 

Without warning someone touched his hair gently stroking it before a kiss was pressed onto the crown of his head. Deft fingers fiddled with his shackles and he smelled pages of old books and grounded coffee and his eyes snapped open meeting a mirrored stare.

 

Because both of them had one eye grey and one eye crimson-veined black with a garnet red iris. The emotions Haise saw were sadness and regret and fading hope. All faked, most likely. Opening his mouth a finger quickly rubbed his lips indicating silence. Haise thought about biting it off.

 

“Sasaki, I’ll free you and show you a way out of here, okay? And then I’ll come back.”

 

This had to be the most childish voice and words Shir- that ghoul, one-eyed ghoul, had spoken to him and a thin thread of hope seemed to cling to it. What a good actor he was.

 

“Don’t bother.”

 

Haise knew he should control himself and his feelings but exactly those feelings ran too deep and betrayal was a hard pill to swallow.

 

Shiro paused and sighed before freeing his hands from the wall if not the shackles like Haise had thought.

 

“Sasaki, we don’t live in faerytales. There is no good or evil, no such clear division between white and black. Believe me, please.”

 

He didn’t say anything and his former now - everything was faked - boyfriend tugged him along corridors he probably shouldn’t have seen. Whenever another ghoul passed them Haise was pressed between the one-eyed ghoul’s back and the wall hiding him from sight.

 

When he smelled fresh-air Haise knew it was time and he tensed muscles waiting to uncoil in a show of power.

 

“Don’t Sasaki. Please don’t fight me, just get out before they notice. There are some guards.”

 

Pointing out that there were guards enabled him to smell them. Had Shiro not pointed them out Haise probably wouldn’t have noticed.

 

A click and the shackles fell off. Shiro took one step towards but he turned around and quickly slipped away.

 

However, Haise was sure that Shiro had heard his last whispered words.

 

“Don’t bother coming back. There’s nothing for you to come back to.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Maybe I'll do a sequel with one of the prompt days. If not maybe I will do a sequel in the future just because.


End file.
